Fall Cedars by Richard Lewis 2019
A Week on the Mullica River
Fall in the New Jersey Barrens is special. The leaves on the deciduous trees that grow among the pines turn beautiful shades of red, orange and yellow making the Pine Barrens look like it is gift wrapped. This year Fall came a little early and didn’t stick around very long. There were signs of it in the swamps in early September as shown by the photograph on the right. It wasn’t until the middle of October that the peak colors happened. I spent that time along the Mullica River, one of several small rivers in the Pine Barrens, where it runs through a more remote area. The following photographs are the result of my week on the Mullica.
It’s all about savannas
Just as the leaves started to change, I took a hike to explore a few locations in the savannas along the Mullica River. Savannas are open grassy areas. Although they look like dry meadows, the water is usually ankle deep or more. There are no trails to the savannas so you have to bushwhack your way into them. Due to the unpredictable conditions of a hike like this, I used my wife’s compact Olympus mirrorless camera to save weight and space in the backpack. The partly cloudy sky created some interesting plays of light.
Savanna View by Richard Lewis 2019
Broken Tree by Richard Lewis 2019
Dappled Savanna Light by Richard Lewis 2019
Morning Mist
The Fall colors on the Mullica River are always a treat. On a couple of mornings there was mist in the air providing an extra bonus. The mist can make the river landscape look very surreal.
The Edge Of The Mullica by Richard Lewis 2019
Fall Mist by Richard Lewis 2019
Across The River by Richard Lewis 2019 (6 image stitched panorama)
To see a larger version of this large panorama above, click here and view it in the gallery
Fall At The Lodge by Richard Lewis 2019
Rising Mist At Dawn by Richard Lewis 2019
Other Fall Photographs
Although every day didn’t have mist, every day was an adventure. Knowing where the savannas are doesn’t mean you know what you will see when you work your way into them. Low water levels can reveal clutter in the river and turn a pretty savanna into tangled mess. High water levels can make an area that was passable previously impossible to get to.
Fall Tree Panorama by Richard Lewis 2019
Intimate Fall Scene by Richard Lewis 2019
A Touch Of Fall by Richard Lewis 2019
Late Fall On The Mullica by Richard Lewis 2019
While any time is a good time to photograph the New Jersey Pine Barrens, fall is always special. As I wrote in the opening paragraph, fall is like gift wrapping the Pines.
Enjoy!
All these photographs are available as fine art prints, Learn More.
As always , your photographs are so beautiful!
Thank you for that compliment.
Stunning!
Thank you Karen
Beautiful and inspiring Rich!
Thanks Bob.
Wonderful images that show how just how beautiful the pine barrens are.
Thanks Ken. The Pines are a stunning place.
These make my heart smile Rich! Thank you!
Thanks Jan. All our hearts need to smile as much as possible.
How fortunate those of us living near the Pine Barrens are, But to see it through your art is really extraordinary.
Thank you for that comment Mike. I really appreciate it. The Pines are a magical place and we are very lucky.
One is just more beautiful than the other!
Thank you Bonnie
Great photos Rich, thanks for sharing.
Thank you for your comment Fran. I’m glad you enjoyed these photographs.
Beautiful work! I love seeing both green leaves and the colorful autumn leave.
Thanks you Patricia. I always like how the autumn colors mix with the greens of both the pine trees and the leaves that haven’t turned yet.
you have captured the true beauty of pinelnads! They are very inspiring . Thanks for the sharing!
Thank you for your comment Zheng!
Really breathtaking this time of year. I just returned from southwest Arizona, where I got a few good pics of the Aravaipa Ghost Town. The trees are starting to turn there as well. I wish that I’d had the time to check out Aravaipa Canyon, which by now is probably a veritable rainbow as a riparian environment in the bottom of a canyon with a perennial creek in the middle of the desert.
Thank for your comment. In the Pines, we don’t have canyons or mountains and our ghost towns are mostly just foundations, but if you really look, the Pine Barrens is one of the most beautiful spot in the world. I always say that if you can photograph the Pines, you can photograph any landscape.
Your images are always inspiring. Hope your winter workshop is going to happen.
Thanks Jay. I appreciate it. I just posted a special winter workshop on my website. Here is the link. https://richardlewisphotography.com/richard-lewis-photography-workshops/pine-barrens-photography-workshops/
Rich, thank you for showing the collection of beautiful images so I can feel the fall in the Pines, something I completely missed this year. My favorite image is a high key photograph “The Fall at the Lodge”, the bold colors of the maples surrounded by delicate and mysterious atmosphere, it is absolutely stunning.
Thanks Rafal. I’m happy to share the fall you weren’t around to see. “Fall At The Lodge” is one of my personal all time favorites. It took several years of visiting here to find the right conditions.
Beautiful! I so enjoyed getting to visit with you and Vivian at the Pinelands Preservation Alliance Photography Exhibition yesterday! What a fabulous collection of images to enjoy. Thanks for your efforts to keep all this accessible to so many.
It was nice to see you too Laurie. The Pinelands are a treasure and we’ll continue to share what we find out there with our photography.
I feel like I’m late to the party with this post, but I stumbled across your incredible photos while researching whether Fall is a good time to take a drive through the Pine Barrens. Clearly, it is! Thank you for sharing this amazing work.
Thanks for your compliment Erik. Yes, the Pines are a great place in the fall. Enjoy it when it gets here.